Tibetan Ice Core May Be 128,000 Years Old, Offering New Climate Record

Scientists have uncovered a high‑altitude ice core in Tibet that may be older than 128,000 years, a period previously thought to be lost to the record. The core preserves a pristine archive of atmospheric and temperature data from the last ice age, providing a rare glimpse into the climate conditions that prevailed when glaciers covered much of the planet. By extending the known timeline of ice preservation, the find challenges assumptions about how long glaciers can survive dramatic shifts in global temperature. Researchers plan to analyze the ice’s isotopic composition and trapped gases to refine models of past climate dynamics and improve predictions of glacier response to future warming.